One of the original and most iconic of Las Vegas' signature "gourmet rooms" was the legendary Bacchanal Room, which debuted with Caesars Palace in 1966. A key component of Jay Sarno's grandiose tribute to the glory and excesses of Ancient Rome, UNLV's The Art of Dining, a digital collection dedicated to documenting the history of the city's dining, describes how "in a class by itself was the Bacchanal Room at Caesars Palace, which might be more appropriately termed a 'gourmet experience.' Guidebooks of the period advised visitors to allow at least three hours for the full dining experience at the Bacchanal, which included wine service from toga-clad waitresses" who did indeed also dispense soothing neck rubs -- to male customers only -- and live entertainment from the likes of Jimmy Grippo.
As the questioner correctly recalls, at the Bacchanal diners were served not by mere "waitresses, but by a bevy of exotic "goddesses," like this ethereal trio pictured on opening night, or as in this shot from the following year, posing with their boss as he dined.
As far as menus are concerned, you're in luck, as UNLV has an original dinner menu from the Bacchanal included in its online collection -- check out the sexually-suggestive cover image, the faux Latin, and the super-cheesy "comic" asides from back in the heyday of resort theming, Vegas-Strip style! (As far as the elements of the eight-course meal itself are concerned, which would have been prepared under the direction of Vegas' original "celebrity chef," Nat Hart, the only element that we can decipher is that the experience concluded with black coffee.)
We did, however, find you another treat in the form of an extended blog post, courtesy of SouthernAristocracy.org, that offers a visual feast of vintage Caesars shots, thanks to a bunch of screen grabs seized from an ignominious 1969 film titled Where It's At. Filmed (extensively) on location at the still-new resort, and "starring" Don Rickles, among others, we understand that editorially speaking this moment in cinematic history served best as a blatant advertisement for the casino, which actually gets star billing in the end credits ... for playing itself! Among the many delights showcased is the Bacchanal Room, so enjoy some time travel back to 1969 (without having to endure actually watching the movie).
